NAC introduces electronic mapping for Aids service organisations
The National Aids Commission (NAC) says it is introducing a computerised mapping system to identify Aids service organisations.
The commission’s board vice-chairperson the Reverend Gertrude Kapuma was speaking in Zomba on Tuesday at the end of a two-day training in geographical information system (GIS) for regional local councils’ staff.
She said the training would help the commission to easily access information about HIV and Aids service organisations and share it with all stakeholders that would want to start new HIV and Aids activities in districts.
Said Kapuma: “With the mapping exercise, we are going to ably guide district-based non-governmental organisations [NGOs] and other donor partners on which areas they can move in with their support thereby making sure that there is equitable coverage of HIV and Aids services provision across the country.
“By this, we will also identify areas which are underserved or indeed oversubscribed by Aids service organisations which in the end will help in directing our efforts where there are gaps. Additionally, this training [was aimed at] strengthening the capacity of local council staff to better manage work.”
She said NAC values the decentralised response to HIV and Aids in the country and hailed the local councils for coordinating the district response because of the proximity they have to the majority of Malawians.
The training attracted participants from all the district councils in the Eastern Region and some from Kasungu and Blantyre.
